Why Mimaki UV Flatbed Printers Are the Only …...Why Mimaki UV Flatbed Printers Are the Only Choice for Operational Excellence / 4 It’s crucial to know that not all manufacturers

Why Mimaki UV Flatbed Printers Are the Only Choice for Operational Excellence / 1


Engineering

Technology

Software

Partnership

Key Takeaways & Investment

Considerations

05

06

08

10

11

Table Of Contents


Production Scalability

The Manufacturer’s Size, Experience and History

Specifications That Increase Uptime and Decrease Total Cost of Ownership

The Partner You Choose to Develop and Deploy Your Flatbed Printing Solution

Selecting an industrial flatbed printing solution may be different than your other purchases, like a car or a smartphone.

The manufacturers aren’t as well-known as Toyota or Apple and it’s unlikely that you have an

extensive background of knowledge on the available brands to make an informed

decision.

A smart buyer wouldn’t risk purchasing an expensive smartphone or a car from a

manufacturer that they knew nothing about, but we see this all the time with industrial

flatbed printers. Business owners and managers make quick decisions which cause

unnecessary mistakes that end up costing tens of thousands of dollars, just because

they didn’t do their homework.

Determining what makes a great flatbed inkjet printer should be step one in the buyer’s

journey. So what makes one brand better than the other? Is it the bed size? Print speed?

Initial investment cost? For many buyers, these characteristics are often the only ones

considered during the evaluation and purchase but there’s so much more to think about, like:


It’s crucial to know that not all manufacturers create their printers equally. Pricing

fluctuates from brand to brand, but each seem to boast similar features and are applicable

to the same types of materials. So how can one brand have a higher price tag than the

others?

Because this is what you’re really paying for, or what you SHOULD be paying for:

With a Mimaki UV flatbed printer, the return you’ll receive from the reliability and

functionality will end up saving you money – and a ton of headaches – in the long run.

This eBook will go into detail about Mimaki’s unique features and break down the potential

costs of going with a piece of equipment from a lesser brand.

Engineering Craftsmanship

Innovative Technology

Software Quality

Support from atrusted partner


There’s So Much Happening Behind the Scenes

How the equipment is crafted, from the

overall functionality right down to the

minor details, is going to determine quality

and reliability not just on day one, but for

the entire lifecycle of the printer. Inferior

engineering might drive down the cost of

a machine, but the production quality will

suffer and that means so will your printing

plans.

Industry ExpertiseThe engineering staff behind Mimaki

is massive. It’s so large, in fact, that the

research and development and engineer-

ing staff out-numbers the entire company

size of many of their competitors. These

engineers are highly-trained pioneers in

their field, working endlessly to develop,

troubleshoot and perfect their products to

ensure trouble-free functionality that

guarantees top quality results. And these

engineers must be on to something,

considering Mimaki is on its 5th generation

of printers. This robust production quality

has withstood evolution in the industry

to produce a family of machines that not

only complement each other, but integrate

seamlessly into your operations.

So, the engineering difference between a

Mimaki printer and a competitor that may

be 5-20% less expensive is this: which one

will you rely on for critical production?

You may potentially save money on the

initial purchase, but the downtime,

service and repair, wasted substrates

and potential loss of business will very

quickly overshadow the initial purchase.

Engineering Features Mimaki Others

Proven Reliability

Long Lifespan

Backed by Innovative Engineers

5 Generations of UV-Flatbed Printers

Engineering


Intelligent Design Meets Innovative Details

Mimaki’s UV flatbeds go beyond conventional, offering the latest technology for

streamlined applications, user-friendly processes and autonomous job completion.

Your Mimaki printer is like having an additional reliable employee on staff; there’s no

babysitting required to make sure jobs are completed successfully, freeing up employees’

time to work on other tasks.

Nozzle Recovery SystemA malfunctioning nozzle can kill a print job. Banding happens, which results in an

extremely low quality end product and requires you to redo the product from the

beginning.

Mimaki’s automatic nozzle checker monitors performance with a sensor that detects

missing ink dots. Should a nozzle be faulty, the machine will stop to perform a cleaning and

make sure it’s fixed. If the issue isn’t resolved, the print job will resume without the problem

nozzle in play. Plus, all of this will happen without you even needing to be in the room.

Image Quality ControlTaking banding reduction and uneven colorization to the next level is Mimaki’s Advanced

Pass System (MAPS), which ensures precise ink quality by printing in a gradient-like tone

and dispersing ink drops between passes.

Normal Pattern MAPS

Technology


Automatic Gap SensingSay your material is on the flatbed and mid-print it starts sticking up, which offsets the

placement and causes a jam. This can halt production, have a detrimental impact on the

end product and waste your printing resources including the ink and expensive materials.

Mimaki’s machines are equipped with sensors that can detect the height of the bed and

raise it as necessary, or they can stop the bed from moving and alert you to check on the

issue. Other brands cut costs by manufacturing manually adjusted printer heads, leaving

the responsibility completely on you to constantly monitor the equipment.

Ink QualityMimaki abides by firm restrictions regarding the substances that should and shouldn’t

be included in their ink formulas. The end results are chemical compounds that are

completely safe for humans. Mimaki’s inks are even used to print on popular children’s

toys, solidifying a trusted name in the industry for printing on nearly anything.

The ink is cured with an LED lamp, which makes the printing process quieter and also

brings the machine’s overall temperature down. This helps to not disturb other operations

in your facility and can make for a more comfortable work environment.

Technology Features Mimaki Others

Constant Nozzle Checking & Repairing

Banding Reduction System

Automatic Gap Sensing

High Quality, Human-Friendly Inks


• PANTONE®+ Color Libraries

• FOTOBA Cut Mark Generation

• Multiple Layer Print Controls

• Automated Special Plate Creation

White Clear Primer

• Full Layout Control

• Powerful Jig & Template Tools

• Create & Save Complex Print Layouts

Minimizes Waste and Misprints

• 16 Bit Rendering

• Full Tiling Control

• Automatic Update Tool

• RasterLinkTools Cut & Print Plug-in for Adobe® Illustrator® & CorelDRAW®

Create Cut Contour Lines

Send Files from Design to Program

Exceptional Production Without ComplicationA reliable Raster Image Processor (RIP) software is a must-have for industrial wide format

printing – which is why Mimaki’s RasterLink6 RIP software is included with every UV

flatbed and works the same across their family of printers.

Mimaki’s RasterLink6 RIP software includes:

Software


Other brands create programs designed without the user’s convenience in mind. And if you choose to purchase third party software, you’ll be paying an extra few thousand

dollars for something that should have been included with your printer in the first place.

Software Features Mimaki Others

Integrates with Streamline Workflow Automation S/W

User-Friendly Functionality

Compatible with Other Mimaki Printer Platforms


Ongoing Support, Even After the Check Clears

Partnership

A UV flatbed printer – regardless of the

brand – is an investment that will take

consideration before purchasing. Since

you’re spending a large sum of money

on a product you hope provides an

impressive ROI, why wouldn’t you select a

partner in the process as opposed to just

buying the machine from the first dealer

you find?

Unlike buying a car and taking it for

maintenance anywhere, an industrial

printer needs to be serviced by the

company where it was purchased. That

means that if you buy from the wrong

company and something happens with

your machine, you’ll be out of luck when

they don’t return your phone calls or tell

you the printer isn’t working because

“you use it too much.”

Plus, not everyone has a general familiarity

with industrial printers, which can make

it intimidating when you’re first getting

started. Ongoing training and support is

not likely to be included in the purchase

of a cheaper brand, which means learning

how to use the machine will be completely

up to you.

The Trusted Mimaki PartnerThe ITNH team meticulously selects the

brands and models of equipment we

offer to ensure our customers that the

engineering, technology and software are

reliable, easy to use and capable of

producing graphics of the highest quality.

We believe Mimaki’s products are all of

that and more. But the ultimate success

of your printing operations will only be as

good as the printing partner you select.

That’s why we’re always working to be the

best, most knowledgeable resource for our

customers.

Partnership Features Mimaki Others

Startup Training

Ongoing Support

Optional Extended Warranties


Overall Features Mimaki Others

Scalability

Ease of Use

High Quality Outputs

Ongoing Training & Support

Autonomous Job Completion

Included RIP Software

Constant Nozzle Checking & Repairing

Banding Reduction System

Automatic Gap Sensing

High-Quality, Human-Friendly Inks

Long Lifespan

Backed by Innovative Engineers

5 Generations of Printers

Trusted Partnership with ITNH

• Service and Repairs

• Lost Business

• Wasted Resources (ink, substrates, etc.)

• Constant Operation and Monitoring by Employees

• Purchasing Third Party Software

• Machine Downtime

• Learning the Equipment on Your Own

Key Takeaways & Investment ConsiderationsMimaki Features Recap

The Other BrandConsider These Unexpected Costs


You’re about to make a huge purchase for your business.

And it’s probably one that you’re not likely to want to do again in the near future. So

instead of just buying the printer with the lowest price tag, invest in a trustworthy partner

that will outlast the competition and you’ll really see the value in your purchase.

If you’re curious about how else Mimaki compares to the competition, let us know! We

want to hear about your experience with other brands and help you explore the different

types of Mimaki models available.

ITNH.com/Mimaki603.239.2324

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Why Mimaki UV Flatbed Printers Are the Only …...Why Mimaki UV Flatbed Printers Are the Only Choice for Operational Excellence / 4 It’s crucial to know that not all manufacturers